News - Overview of all FOI laws

16/9

2010

AMSTERDAM - FOI expert Roger Vleugels releases a new overview of all FOI laws. The architecture of this overview changed and has now seperate lists for national, sub-national and international FOIAs. 238 FOI laws in 84 countries

2 New FOI countries: Indonesia and Russia 84 Countries do have a national FOI law in power, that is 2 more than last year [A-list]; 6 more are at the brink of a FOI law in power [now in the B-list next year hopefully in the A-list].

In last years Overview are 90 countries and territories are stated; 8 of them are territories and they are moved now to the sub-national section of the Overview. So last years 90-8=82+2 new ones = 84

152 sub-national FOI laws This Overview presents the first ever attempt to list all the subnational FOI lwas. This section will be very incomplete, additions and corrections are very welcome.

The country ranking - a new number 1: Norway These sections of the Overview are becoming a bit more accurate and complete. More and more is clear that a grown up request practice means 50-100 requests per 100,000 inhabitants per year.

The naming & shaming Some FOI laws are almost not used; some are poor; for some drafts and even approved FOI laws it takes years and years before they come into power. More on al this in the list. In the naming & shaming section the Roman/Catholic countries of Europe are prominent present next to countries like Argentine and Zimbabwe.

The Good Friday FOI A true discovery is the existance of, next to the EU one, a second international FOIA: The Belfast Good Friday Agreement with its North/South Bodies FOI Code of Practice.

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